Lamp-bracket for railway-cars.



B. H. MANN. LAMP BRACKET FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APE-5| 1910.

Patented. Mar. 30

mam

THE NORRIS PETERS CO4, PHoTb-LITHQ. WASHINGTUN, L2. c.

LAMP-BRACKET RAILVTAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lt'iiar. 3t 1e15,

Application filed April 5, 1910. Serial No. 553,636.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, BERTRAM H. MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp- Brackets for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brackets for marker-lamps which are used on railway cars usually at the rear end of the same for signaling purposes. I-Teretofore there has been considerable difficulty in connection with these marker-lamps because of the fact that the ordinary lamp bracket does not hold the lamp with suflicient tightness to prevent a slight lost motion between the lamp and its bracket. Because of this looseness there is more or less vibration of the lamp and the value of the lamp is greatly injured because of the intermittent changes in the direction of the light projected by the lamp. l-Ieretofore these brackets have consisted chiefly of a thin band of metal wh ch is designed to encompass a reduced portlon of the base of the lamp, and this form of band does not prove to be eflicient in holding the lamp rigidly in position.

The object of my invention, therefore, has been to provide a lamp bracket which Wlll very firmly hold the lamp and in which the ring-shaped portion of t e bracket that engages the base of the lamp shall have a broad vertical bearing upon the reduced portion of the base of the lamp, as well as a broad horizontal bearing upon which certain portions of the base of the lamp may rest. In addition to these broad bearings I make the ring-shaped portion of the lamp bracket of such proportions as will cause it to fit tightly between the flaring portions at the base of the lamp that are immediately adjacent the reduced portion of said base. These flaring portions are usually of a more or less curved form which permits me to tightly wedge the ring-shaped part of my bracket into position about said reduced portion of the base of the lamp.

l'he object of my invention has also been to increase the durability of the bracket and to prevent the wear which occurs because of the vibration above mentioned.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent in the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings, and the novel elements of my invention and combinations thereof will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is an elevation of a marker-lamp which is shown in position in my improved bracket. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of the bracket, showing the precise form of the ring-shaped body of the bracket and showing the base of the lamp in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view.

Similar numerals of reference are used for similar parts in the different views.

The object of my invention is acco1nplished by providing the lamp bracket 15 with a ringshaped body portion 16 which has a broad vertical bearing 18 where its interior surface engages the reduced portion 18 of the base of the lamp. This reduced portion 18 may be termed a neck which lies between the two flaring portions 18 and 18 on the base. The flaring portion 18 is considerably larger in diameter than the lower portion 18, and a flange 19 having a broad upper surface 19 is provided for the flaring portion 18 to rest upon.

The ring-shaped body portion of my lamp bracket is preferably made in two parts 16 and 17, which are secured together by screws 20, which are inserted through suitable apertures in the flanges 20" of the two halves of the bracket. These two halves 16 and 17 are adapted to tightly wedge into the space between the flaring portions 18 and 18, and for that reason the vertical depth of the bracket at this point is made slightly in eX- cess of the vertical dimensions of said space. I am, therefore, enabled to draw the two halves l6 and 17 tightly into this space by means of the screws 20. The part 17 of the base is provided with an extension 21, which is preferably of ribbed form and terminates in two flanges 22 and 22 for engaging the socket 24 upon the car body. Between the flanges 22 and 22 and the body portion of the bracket are spaces or notches 23 which permit clearance of the jaws 24 of the lamp socket. The lamp socket 24: is provided with a cavity 25 into which the flanges 22 and 22 are inserted and which is provided with the said jaws 24E at either side. The flange 19 is extended along the body of the arm 21 and adds stiffness and strength to the body of the bracket. In order to provide suflicient strength in the bracket at the point where the notches 23 occur, I make the bracket of great depth. below said notches, as shown The mode of use of my improved bracket will be apparent from the preceding description. It becomes necessary to simply wedge the two halves l6 and 17 of the bracket into the space between the flaring portion of the base of the lamp and then to insert the screws 20 and draw the said parts tightly into place. The wedging action thus brought about prevents the aforesaid undesirable looseness and vibration, and hence the direction of the rays of light from the lamp is invariable. The broad horizontal surface 19 on the flange 19 presents a large surface for frictional contact with the flaring portion of the lamp base, immediately above and adjacent thereto, and this broad surface adds its share of holding power to the bracket. The broad vertical surface upon the interior of the body portion also presents a large frictional surface for engaging the neck at the base of the. lamp.

While I have described my invention with more or less precision with regard to'details of construction and arrangement, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of the parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. A lamp bracket comprising a body portion of ring form adapted to engage the reduced part and both adjacent outwardly projecting surfaces of a lamp base, said body portion being formed in two parts, said parts having radially extending coacting flanges integral therewith at their meeting ends, said flanges being apertured, adjustable means engaging said apertures to secure said parts of said body portion together, an arm integral with one of said parts, said arm having transverse flanges at its end adapted to engage a socket, a horizontally projecting flange extending around the periphery of saidbody portion and said arm having its upper surface substantially flush with the upper surface of said body portion, said last mentioned flange having notches therein adjacent said transverse flanges to permit engagement of the latter with said socket, said arm being of relatively increased depth adjacent said notches.

2. A lamp bracket comprising a body portion of ring form adapted to engage the reduced part and both adjacent outwardly projecting surfaces of a lamp base, said body portion being formed in two parts, said parts being detachably secured together at their meeting ends, an arm integral with one of said parts, said arm having a transverse flange at its end adapted to engage a socket, a horizontally projecting flange extending around the periphery of said body portion and being continued along said arm, said horizontal flange having its upper surface substantially flush with the upper surface of said body portion, said last mentioned flange having notches therein adjacent said transverse flanges to permit engagement of the latter with said socket, said arm being of relatively increased depth adjacent said notches.

3. A lamp bracket comprising a body portion of ring form adapted to engage the reduced part and both adjacent outwardly projecting surfaces of a lamp base, said body portion being formed in two parts, said parts being detachably secured together at their meeting ends, an arm integral with one of said parts whereby said body portion is spaced from the car body to which it is attached, 'a horizontally projecting flange extending around the periphery of said body portion and outwardly along said arm, said horizontal flange having its upper surface substantially flush with the upper surface of said body portion and said body portion and said horizontal flange having a relatively great depth vertically and radially, respectively.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

B. H. MANN.

WVitnesses GEO. W. MARRIo'rT, M. E. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

